Hard Talks
by MariaWest
Summary: Wally and Conner deal with recent events as well as the next person does, with yelling and Oreos.


Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice

Author's Note: It was the wonderful and beautiful sarcatt's birthday back in august and I am very late with her present. But I finally got it done so hurray! Another fic of one of her favourite brotps (though definitely nowhere near as upsetting as the last one I wrote her was). This is two fic ideas I had that I smooshed into one for her (both were going to be for her but this works a lot better). So happy belated birthday dear! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_Dude! You're totally eating those wrong!" Wally's voice rang through the Cave._

"_What?" Conner asked as he looked up from the box of Oreos he had been eating from._

"_Well first, you're eat _my_ Oreos, and second you're eating them wrong. If you're going to steal my stash at least eat it properly," the ginger explained, joining his friend at the counter in the Cave's kitchen. Conner stared at him, a half eaten cookie in his hand. The boy laughed. "Don't worry, young Padawan, I will show you the ways of Oreo consumption."_

"_What's a Padawan…?"_

"What? You don't know what a_… Okay, you really need to get educated in film and television. Way behind, it's embarrassing," Wally said, shaking his head. He walked over to the fridge and took out a carton of milk. Soon he was back at the counter with two glasses filled. "Alright, step one, choose your cookie… a new full cookie."_

_Conner glanced at his half eaten one and placed it on the counter before reaching for a new one. He looked at his friend, eyebrow furrowed, "I didn't know there was a right way to eat cookies."_

"_Well you were a clone created by not so great people," the ginger said nonchalantly. "Of course they forgot to program important information such as how to eat an Oreo. Now, step two, dunk your Oreo in the milk halfway three times. Trust me on this."_

_Conner looked at the glass now in front of him and then followed his instructions. Soon the cookie was dripping with milk and the clone waited for the next step. _

"_Now, Padawan, take a bite and enjoy," Wally said, biting into his own cookie. Both boys soon swallowed their mouthfuls and the ginger grinned. "Well? Tell me just how much better that was."_

"_It was good," Conner said, beginning to dunk the other half already._

"_Awesome. Dude, I can't wait to teach you all the ways of the cookies. Next time my mom makes chocolate chip cookies, I'll show you how to eat those," the speedster said excitedly as he grabbed another cookie._

"_There are different ways for different cookies?" the clone asked, suddenly feeling wary of the agreement that seemed to have been made. _

"_Oh Conner, oh young, naïve Conner," Wally said, slinging his arm over his friend's shoulders. "You have _so_ much to learn."_

* * *

Wally was just placing down Brucely's water dish when he heard a heavy knock on the door. He groaned as his dog began to bark loudly at the door. The mutt only did it when he was the only one in the house, as if to test just how fast he could answer the door. The day Artemis got home would be too soon; only she could control this dog. Some days he wonders why he begged for the animal in the first place, ignoring the part of him that knew he wouldn't have made it this long without it.

Sighing, Wally brushed his hands on his jeans and moved passed the leaping and barking animal towards the door. Taking a breath in, he opened it, hoping it was someone he wasn't mad at.

"Hi, I brought drinks, can I come in?" Conner Kent asked, holding up a case of Coca-Cola.

"Drinks?" the ginger asked, cocking an eyebrow and smiling slightly. The action felt weird on his face, but it just slipped out.

"Well… I know the how actually drinking thing won't work and this is my favourite," the clone said, shrugging. "So can I come in?"

"Yeah sure," Wally answered, chuckling slightly. It was clear Superman and him had grown to be very similar over the years. "Out of the way, Bruce, come on. Go drink your water."

"He's grown a lot," the visitor said, placing the drinks on the coffee table. He looked around the apartment and smiled. "This hasn't changed at all."

"Just a lot messier, only difference. And it's a dude house now, right Brucely?" Wally said, trying to grin at the dog, though it was extremely clear how forced it was. Brucely lazily looked up before trotting out of the room. "Yeah, whatever. I'll see you night when you're hogging the bed."

"Does he miss her?" Conner asked quickly, avoiding his friend's gaze.

"Yeah… I'm worried about the day he'll forget her. That'll be a bad day, for me at least. He always thinks she's coming home," the speedster said. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pair of glasses. "Hey, bring those to the table here. We can drink them here. Sorry I don't really have anything to offer food wise. I sort of ate everything already and haven't been to the store. There's just cookies left, to be honest."

"Don't worry about it," he said.

Soon the two of them were sitting at the table. Wally lazily blew bubbles into his drink threw a straw he grabbed as Conner gazed around the apartment. Neither one spoke. After awhile, the ginger reached to grab another can and caught his friend's eye.

"So, how's the team doing?" he asked, pouring the can out into his cup. He took a sip before looking up. "You know, missions and all that. Is Bart as annoying for you guys as he is with me?"

"Uh, yeah. The team's okay. Lagoon Boy got hurt today. Leg's all messed up," Conner answered, looking down. "He'll be fine, but he's out of commission for awhile."

"Bummer. Oh well, that kid seemed annoying," Wally said. "That's all?"

"No..." the half Kryptonian said quickly. The other boy looked him over and could tell that whatever it was could not be good. He gulped and waited for his friend to continue. Soon, the dark haired boy took a breath in, "M'gann got captured by Deathstroke and the new baddy with the Light, Tigress. Or, should I say Artemis?"

The room filled with the sound of choking as Wally tried to clear his throat of the pop he almost choked on. When he finally could breath again, he looked at his friend, "Come again?"

"Dick told La'gaan and I about it all. About your secret. How Artemis never died and you've been lying to us all. How Kaldur never betrayed us, in the way you all let on that is," Conner said, voice rising. "How could you?"

"Just following our fearless leaders' orders," Wally answered. He set his drink down and frowned. "I didn't want any of this. None of us did. But it was our only option."

"Only option?" Conner shouted, standing up. "Wally, Kaldur is in a coma! M'gann mind blasted him and he might never be okay. That's why M'gann was captured. They have to repair his mind! How can you say that this was the only option?"

"Well what else we were supposed to do? Artemis had to go somewhere, didn't she?" he answered with just as much volume as the current hero. "You have no idea what I've had to deal with because of this lie. Sure, Dick is lying to the Team, I get to lie to Artemis' mother. I see her every week and I have to act like the girl I love is dead so her mother can mourn her. What's Paula going to do when she found out I lied?"

"Then why are you lying?" Conner yelled.

"Because I don't have a choice! Dick didn't give me one. Artemis didn't give me one Artemis is gone and I have to sit here and lie," the ginger answered. He took a breath in and hung his head. A small chuckle fell from his lips before he continued to speak, "Conner, I'm forced to live this lie and I hate it."

"I was angry, you know."

"What?" Wally asked after a moment.

"When you two left. You just got up and left the Team and I was angry. I couldn't, I still can't, understand why you would leave your family behind like that," Conner said, his voice calming down. "You turned your back and you haven't come home yet. We need you there and you here hiding in you lie. How is that okay?"

"Conner… Look I'm sorry. After Tula… Well we needed a break. We thought… _I_ thought we could go on like nothing happened but I couldn't do it anymore. I was terrified all the time about one of us dying… So I panicked, and she came with me. I know this makes me a coward, but it's what happened," he answered, rubbing his hand over his face before resting it on the back of his neck. "You're right to be angry, it was selfish."

"When are you coming back then?" the clone demanded, finally sitting back in his chair.

"Honestly, I don't know… When does the grieve boyfriend get back in the suit?" the ginger asked. "I don't know at this point. I guess when Dick and I finally get over ourselves and we find some use for me. I mean, I'm useless compared to Bart, you really don't need me anymore."

"Don't say that, we do need you. You, not your powers," Conner said quietly. "It's weird without you there. You and Artemis and Kaldur. We need all of you. We're a team. You're my family," the dark haired boy looked at his friend's eyes. They were silent, neither needing to say anymore. They came to an agreement and that was that.

Wally knew where he was needed; he knew what he still needed. He knew that he would be welcomed back when he was ready. He knew that once he figured everything out, figured out how to deal with this lie and this betrayal that he would have a home to return to. And Conner knew he had to wait. That he had to accept that Wally wasn't ready. That he had to forgive what his teammates had done. And forgive himself.

"You aren't the only that made mistake," Conner, looking away from his friend. "With M'gann… I knew what she had been doing. I knew how extreme her actions-"

"Do you want some Oreos?" Wally asked, cutting him off. "It's all we really have here, but it'll do for now. There might be some milk in the fridge…"

The ginger's voice trailed off as he stood up and walked over to his fridge. Soon there was a box of Oreos and two glasses of milk on the table. The pop was forgotten as each of them reached for a cookie. Conner smiled as he dunked his cookie halfway into the milk three times. He looked up as he bit into the cookie.

"Still eat them they way I taught you?" Wally asked as her reached for his third cookie already.

"Dick tried to get me to eat them like he does," Conner admitted, ignored the groan of disgust across the table. "But your way just stuck I guess."

"Good," the ginger said, nodding his head to emphasize his word. "Dick's an idiot when it comes to junk food, I will always know more."

"Well there's a surprise."

They both began to laugh as they continued to eat. After a few cookies, Wally looked up again at his friend. "Dude," he said, placing an Oreo down on the table. "Thanks… for coming here. I needed this."

"I needed it too," Conner replied.

Both of them smiled and soon the shouting and anger was completely behind them, though not forgotten. They started to talk about the mundane things in their lives, their plans for after college, their hopes for the future when it came to the whole hero business. They just enjoyed the moment they had. They accepted the fact that once they finished the box of Oreos that they would have to go back to the world of an alien invasion and the danger of their lives, but for now they got to enjoy the fact that they were friends who ate cookies the same way.


End file.
